Sardis: Truth Fifth Seal: Reformation 1517 CE – 1797 CE
Spirituality
“…I
know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are
dead. Wake up, and strengthen the things
that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed
in the sight of My God. So remember what
you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent…But you have a few people
in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in
white, for they are worthy. He who
overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name
from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before
His angels.” Rev. 2: 1-5
Jezebel
had almost completely wiped out those who remained faithful to the pure
teachings of Jesus, but the truth was not yet dead even though it looked like
it. A spark remained and it was about to
be kindled into a full-blown fire.
Martin Luther, a Catholic monk, was a man in search of truth. As he dug into the Bible he found that much
of what he had believed in his previous religious life was untrue. In 1517 CE he bravely wrote out the truths he
had discovered and then posted them (his 95
theses, see Appendix 3) so everyone who could read would see the truth. Some others, both in religious and political
offices, saw the truth in what Martin Luther had discovered and together they
started what became known as the Protestant Reformation (“protest”ing the false
teachings of the Jezebel church). Jesus
promised those who fought against the false church that they would be clothed
in white and have their names written in the book of life.
Experience
“When
the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those
who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony
which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How
long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our
blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told
that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their
fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been,
would be completed also.” Rev. 6:
9-11
The
Jezebel church was not going to give up its power easily and the persecutions
continued, but this time it was aimed at the visible and vocal Protestant
movement. Some European political powers
stood up to the church for the first time, refusing to turn over their citizens
to be killed, and Jezebel found herself losing power.
Anonymous engraver from the 17th century, "Way to burn those who were condemned by the inquisition."
